Vitamin D3 pretreatment protects against lipopolysaccharide-induced early embryo loss through its anti-inflammatory effects.

Abstract

PROBLEM:

Increasing evidence demonstrates that inflammatory cytokines are involved in LPS-induced adverse pregnant outcomes including early embryo loss. Vitamin D3 (VitD3) has anti-inflammatory activity. We aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D3 (VitD3) on LPS-induced early embryo loss in mice.

METHOD OF STUDY:

All pregnant mice except controls were intraperitoneally (ip) injected with LPS on GD7. In VitD3 alone and LPS+VitD3 groups, pregnant mice were pretreated with VitD3 by gavage daily from GD5 to GD7.

RESULTS:

LPS caused 62.5% pregnant mice with early embryo loss. Interestingly, the rate of abortion dropped to 14.3% when pregnant mice were pretreated with VitD3. Additional experiment showed that VitD3 significantly attenuated LPS-evoked elevation on TNF-α, IFN-γ, MIP-2, and nitrate plus nitrite in maternal serum. In addition, VitD3 alleviated LPS-induced COX-2 expression in the decidua and attenuated the elevation of PGF2α in maternal serum. Although VitD3 had no effect on IL-10 in maternal serum, it induced further elevation of serum IL-10 level in LPS-treated mice. Further analysis showed that VitD3 activated VDR signaling, simultaneously inhibited LPS-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 subunits in the decidua.

CONCLUSIONS:

VitD3 protects mice from LPS-induced early embryo loss at least partially through its anti-inflammatory effects.

• Authors: Yan Zhou, Yuan-Hua Chen, Lin Fu, Zhen Yu, Mi-Zhen Xia, Xiao-Guang Hu, Hua Wang, De-Xiang Xu
• Journal: American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) (Am J Reprod Immunol) Vol. 77 Issue 3 (Mar 2017) ISSN: 1600-0897 [Electronic] Denmark
• PMID: 28045211 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Cytokines
• Inflammation Mediators
• Lipopolysaccharides
• NF-kappa B
• Cholecalciferol
• Dinoprost
• Ptgs2 protein, mouse
• Cyclooxygenase 2

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (immunology)
• Cholecalciferol (immunology)
• Cyclooxygenase 2 (metabolism)
• Cytokines (blood)
• Decidua (metabolism)
• Dinoprost (blood)
• Embryo Loss (immunology, prevention & control)
• Female
• Humans
• Inflammation (immunology)
• Inflammation Mediators (blood)
• Lipopolysaccharides (immunology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred ICR
• NF-kappa B (metabolism)
• Pregnancy